Shelf fixture



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,218

' F. N. CARLSON SHELF FIXTURE Filed March 1926 a lil mill- Patented Aug. 21, 1-928.

STATES rnrrz w. camsomorxrxnmrotis, MINNESOTA.

51mm" FIXTURE.

Myinvention relates to shelf ifixturesand has asfan objectthereof to providenstruc and substantialmannern j i, i

A further objectof the: invention, resides] in providing notchedstandards adapted to receive the shelvesand supportthezsame. Another object resides in forming the.

tural parts fcapablegbflbeing easily asseni bled to 1 provide, shelves ,at various selected elevations which aregsupported in "a a shelves of, sheet Inetallbent tofprovidea de- .pendin "flange havingxfan inwardly turned lip, an to form, said shelves with, slots ,extending throughsaid flange andfilip for the reception of said standards, portions ofsaid shelves being adapte dito enter the notches of said standards to hold the shelves supported thereon. j U I .A-still furtherobject resides. in providing 7 a: key adapted to be positioned between a -1- shelfproper and,itsinturned -lipand to lie against a standardon theother-to against the depending flangeon one side holdthe shelfattached to thegstandard. I With the foregoing and, other objects in i 1. View, which will appearinthe followingfde scription, the invention residesfiin the novel perspective view of a key 1 and of a portion aishelf and a standard showing the relative positioning of said of Fig; 3..

parts in theassemblingthereof,

1 Fig 3 is a fragmentarysectionalview 'tak-. en online of Fig. ,1. and drawn to an enlarged, scale.

Fig. 1 4; is a sectional; 'vie w taken; on line .l My improved shelf fixture, is particularly adapted to be usedgin stores and similar places .wherea rigid and substantial fixture isrequired permitting of adjustment of the shelves and which maybe readily and quickly assembledior taken: apart. Although myshelf fixture may be constructed according to various plans to meetthe requirements ,of

. thefparticularbuilding, in which thesame is being installed, I have simply illustrated a.

small. section of va,'shelf fixture which is "best: ShDWn'z lIl: Fig. 1., This construction con, sists primarily of {pairs of spaced-standards and-l1 which am arranged at sufiiciently application ma March-i 1, 1926. Serial no. 31,352. j

close intervals throughout the length of the, shelving. Upon these standards aremounted a series of shelves 12,113, 14 t1ndl5fWhlCl1 may be .adjustably attached to said stand-1 PATENT. OFFIC j ards. Upon :the upperlends of the stand;

ards-is secured a mOltllDg'16jWhiCh-dleSad jacent the ceiling ofthe-room in which the shelf fixture is installed, and which, serves; to trim the shelf fixture andgive the same.

an attractive and ornamental appearance.

vThestandards l0 and 11 are identical in y j i construction and are formed of bar metal,-

preferably" rectangular in cross section,

Along one edge of eachbar is, cut af jseries of transverse notchesor kerfs17 which are equally spaced from 1' one another. 1 The Width of these kerfs is just sufiicientto permit the entry thereinflof the shelf proper in a; manner which. will be presently described;

As before stated, all ofithe standards lOand,

11 are of the same size andthe kerfs 17 correspondingly formed therein so that the,

shelves, mountedin corresponding-kerfs, lie horizontal. I 1 7 Each of the shelves, 12,13, ld and 15.;is identical in construction and therefore only oneof said shelves need be described inde-,

tail. A portion-of shelf-12, has been illus tratedin detail in Figs., 2, 3,and 4. Shelf;

12 may be made of'anyrlength-and is-formed of a sheet or strip of sheet metal forming=a= body portion, 24, which has the edgesalong both sides thereof bent overito form two depending flanges 18 and 19 Both ofthese flanges havethelowerj'edges thereof turned.

inwardly to providetwo lips 20 and '21;

which face each other.- The fianges-l8 and 19in additionto giv ingthe shelf a finished appearance serve to stiffen 'the same gand to forma rigid and substantial COIlStIIlCtlQIL,

At regular intervals along the two edgesiof shelf 12 are cut pairs offoppositely-facing slots 22 and 23 which extend through the i flanges 18.a'nd 19v and the lips 20 and21, of said shelf and into the bodyg'thereof for a short distance. 1 These slots are ofa width snugly to receive-the. standards .10 and 11,

ivhich may be inserted :therein a by}: the mov:

ing of said standards laterally toward one another.

Theportion 25- of the body 240f ,the shelf immediately back-of-jthe slots 22 and23lis adapted toenter into anyszofa the kerfs 17 along the standards 10 andgzlli' Slots- 22 and which are identical in forma-' lIlOII extend inwardly into the -body24 aldise such that-the outer-ledges 26 of the", Ii l standards 10 and 11 fall within the flanges 18 and 19 a short distance, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. By this construction the shelf is held supported upon the standards, and the standards are braced both by the body 2 1 of the shelf and by the lips 20 and 21.

For holding the shelves rigidly and securely attached to the standards 10 and 11. l employ keys 27, best shown in F 2, said keys being of a width slightly less than the distance between the body 24 of the shelf and either of the lips 20 or 21 thereof. After the standards and shelves are assembled, keys for each shelf are slid along the inner faces of the flanges 18 and 19 to become lodged between said flanges and the edges 26 of standards 10 and 11. Vhen so lodged said keys are supported at their lower edges by the lips 20 and 21 and at'the same time bridge the gap across said flanges 18 and 19 formed by the slots 22 and 23, and thereby prevent the standards 10 and 11" from sliding out of said slots. In this manthe other to serve as wedges between each of the standards 10 and 11 and their respective flanges 18 and 1.9 of the shelving. And they may be made of the same material as the shelving proper and bowed slightly before being put in place to prevent the accidental dislodgmentthereof-from the shelf structure.

For the purpose of giving an ornamental appearance to the top of the shelf fixture the molding 16 previously referred to, may be employed. 'Ihismolding may be formed of sheet metal bent in any desirable manner to give the same the desired appearance. The lower portion of the molding is constructed with a body portion 28 from which is bent a downwardly depending flange 29. The lower edge of this flange is bent inwardly to provide a lip 30, which construction is identical with the flanges 18 and 19 and the lips 20 and 21 of the shelf proper. The remainder of the molding indicated at 81, as before stated, may bebent or formed to give the desired ornas mental and attractive appearance. At the proper intervals along the flange 29 are providedslots 32 which are identical with and correspond to the slots 22 and 23 in the shelf proper. By means of these slots and keys similar to the keys 27 molding 16 may be attached to the top of the standards 10 and 11 in exactly the same manner as the shelves 12, 13,

' 14 and 15;

Then the notches 17 in the standards 10 and 11 are sufliciently close together, adjustment 10 and 11 by means of an ordinary hack saw. This may be more aptto become necessary in respect to the molding 16 where it i desired to attach the same so that said molding lies against the ceiling of the room in which the shelf fixture is installed.

Although I have illustrated but a single type of shelf fixture it will become apparent that drawers, cupboards and other types of compartments may be installed and built into the structure embodying my invention. In addition my improved shelf fixture may be built into cases, vaults or other special structures. The standards being of rectangular formation occupy but a comparatively small amount of space so that substantially the entire shelf area is available for use. Due to the flanges 18 and 19 along the edges of the shelves, the same are materially stiffened so that the standards supporting the shelves may be spaced apart considerably. Any tendency of the fixture to weave longitudinally is offectively prevented by the bracing contact of the shelf bodies and lips 19 and 20 with the sides ofthe standards 10 and 11 and any tendency of said fixture to weave laterally is cll'ectively prevented by the relatively wide keys 27 wedged between the shelf flanges 18 and 19 and the edges of the standards 19 and 11. The shelf fixture may be easily and quickly erected or taken down, thereby providing a highly meritorious and useful construction.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without depart ing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a standard of rectangular cross section, formed with kerfs along one edge thereof, a shelf having a flange dcpcndingtherefrom and a lip extending inwardly from the lower edge of said flange, said shelf having a slot extending through said flange and lip for the edgewise reception of said standard, the portion of said shelf at the end of said slot being adapted to enter one of the kerfs in said standard, said slot being of a depth suiiicient to bring the outer edge of said standard within said flange, and a flat key ofa width equal to the distance between said shelf and lip, held edgewise therebetween, and lodged on one side against the inner surface of said flange and on its other side against the outer edge of said standard for holding said shelf in place upon said standard. I

2. In combination, standards of rectangular cross section, a shelf having a flange depending therefrom and a lip extending inwardly from the lower edge of said flange, said shelf having slots extending through said flange and lip, each slot for the snug edgewise reception of a standard, means on structure another way. 7

said standards for supporting said shelf, said slots in the shelf being of a depth sufficient to bring the outer edges of the standards within said flange, and keys positioned between said shelf and lip and lodged at one side against said flange and at the other side against said standards for holding said shelf in place upon the standards, the shelf with its lip co-operating with the standards to brace the structure one way and the keys cooperating with said standardsto brace the 3. In combination, a shelf supporting standard formed with kerfs along an edge thereof, a shelf having a flange depending therefrom and a lip extending inwardly from the lower edge of said flange to provide a space therebetween, said shelf having a slot extending through said flange and lip for the reception of said standard, a portion of said shelf being adapted to enter one ofthe kerfs in said standard, and a wedge-like key positioned edgewise in said space between said shelf and lip and wedged flatwise between said flange and the standard to bridge across said slot and to hold said shelf clamped to said standard.

4. In combination, a shelf supporting standard formed with kerfs along an edge thereof, a shelf including a flange depending therefrom and a lip extending inwardly from the lower edgeof said flange to provide a space therebetween, said shelf having a slot-extending through said flange and lip for the reception of said standard, a portion of said shelf being adapted to enter one of the kerfs in said standard, and a key positioned in said space between said shelf and lip and lodged betweensaid flange and the standard to bridge across said slot and to hold said shelf attached to said standard.

5. In combination a standard, a shelf including a flange formed thereon, said shelf having a slot extending through said flange for the reception of said standard, means for supporting said shelf upon said standard and a key lodged between said flange and standard for holding said 'shelf attached thereto. V

6. In combination, a shelf supporting standard having kerfs along the same, a

shelf having a portion thereof adapted toen-v gage the kerfs of said standard for'supporting said shelf thereon, and a wedge carried by said shelf and co-operating with the standard for holding the shelf attached thereto and for drawing said shelfinto said kerfs. j i

, 7. In combination a standard of rectangular cross section formed with kerfs along one edge thereof, a shelf formed of sheet metal having a flange depending therefrom and a lip extending inwardly from the lower edge of said flange, said shelf having a slot extending through said flange and lip intermediate the ends of said shelf for the edgewise reception of said standard, a portion of said shelf at the end of said slot being adapted to enter one of the kerfs in said standard, said slot being of a depth sufficient to bring the outer edge of said standard within said flange anda key of a width equalto the distance between said flange and standard held edgewise between said shelf and lip and lodged on one side against the inner surface of said flange, and on itsother side against the outer edge of said standard for bridging across said slot and holding said shelf in place upon said standard, the portions of said lips adjacent said slots directly engaging said stand ard for bracing the shelf relative to said standard. 1 a

I In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

7 FRITZ N. oARLsoN. 

